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Maryland Designates CRISP HIE as State Health Data Utility
The operation of the CRISP HIE as a health data utility is set to improve some of the state’s leading public health priorities, such as prescription drug monitoring.
CRISP, Maryland’s state-designated health information exchange (HIE), will now operate as a health data utility (HDU) after the State Legislature passed key bills this session.
Effective October 1, 2022, state law will require the state-designated HIE to provide data in real-time to individuals and organizations involved in treating patients and public health officials to support public health goals.
The legislation will also require the Maryland Department of Health (MDH), nursing homes, electronic health networks, and prescription drug dispensers to share data with the state-designated HIE.
“This designation to operate as a health data utility will amplify the invaluable outcomes sharing health data can have on state public health goals and improving clinical care coordination all while reducing the total cost of care for the state and securing data at the personal level,” Craig Behm, president and CEO of CRISP, noted in a public statement.
“We’re grateful for the state’s support and investments in improving statewide public health,” Behm added.
State designation is key to allowing HIEs to clarify, defragment, and secure individual health data before sharing it with the state health department, officials noted.
Additionally, state designation allows enhanced partnerships with state public health departments to utilize data to improve outcomes of public health interventions.
“Maryland has a unique state approach to quality of care and encouraging and providing investments for the cooperation and collaboration of health systems to work in tandem with the state,” said Behm.
“For treating clinicians and public health authorities, time is of the essence for early intervention to prevent advanced disease, and this new designation will greatly increase health outcomes for our communities,” he continued.
CRISP’s operation as an HDU is set to improve some of the state’s leading public health priorities, such as early intervention services for vulnerable populations, prescription drug monitoring, and COVID-19 results and vaccination programs.
“We have a robust infrastructure along with years of specialization in collecting secure and sensitive health care information and delivering it in real-time to providers,” Behm said. “We’re excited to leverage our HIE to enhance the interoperability of health information throughout the state.”
